Berth supporting leg



Aug. 21, 1951 G. K. BRADFIELD, JR

BERTH SUPPORTING LEG Filed April 23, 1949 INVENTOR. BY 7 fi QTTOP/Yy Patented Aug. 21, 1951 BERTH SUPPORTING LEG George K. Bradfield, Jr., Maywood, N. J assignor to American Car and Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 23, 1949, Serial No. 89,168

4 Claims. (01. 5-312) This invention relates to berths and more particularly to berth supporting legs.

Berths are usually located in relatively small rooms provided in railway cars, boats and other places. It is the usual practice to pivotally mount berths in such rooms so that they can be swung into an out-of-way position when stored and into a horizontal position when in use. Under some circumstances, a wall bracket cannot be utilized for supporting the free end of the berth when in horizontal position and in such cases, supporting legs are usually pivoted to the berth pan. It is the practice to pivot such legs to the berth pan so that they can be swung in a direction transversely of the berth into a depending supporting position or into the berth pan for storage. In some instances the room design is such that furniture or walls interfere with transverse swinging of the supporting berth leg and it is an object of this invention to provide a leg structure that can be adjusted while being swung in a direction transversely of the berth to avoid the interference mentioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pivoted leg structure for berths that can be foreshortened during swinging movement from stored to supporting position.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of a railroad car showing a room with the berth and its supporting means located therein.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a supporting leg shown in berth supporting position.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view with a fragmentary portion of the berth shown in prone position and supported by the leg structure, various adjustments of the leg structure being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the leg structure partly broken away.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the leg structure showing the two extreme locations of the lower leg section relative to the upper leg section.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3 showing means for locking the leg structure in supporting relation with the berth.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, numeral l0 designates generally a conventional type of railway sleeping car having an aisle ll along one side wall [2 and rooms l3 between the aisle and the other side wall M. The

rooms are bounded by an aisle wall I5; transverse partition walls IG and side wall [4. Walls I! and [8 within the illustrated room cooperate with one partition wall and the aisle wall to provide a corner toilet room l9. Chair 20 is located adjacent the transversely extending wall ll and a berth structure 2| is arranged in the room between walls I4 and I8.

The berth structure includes a pan 22 pivotally mounted at one end on pins 23, one of which is carried by side wall 14 and the other by a bracket 24 mounted on partition it. Such mounting permits the berth structure to be swung upwardly to a stored position parallel with and adjacent partition wall [6 or into a horizontal position for use. When the berth pan is in horizontal position, one side of the free end is supported by bracket 25 extending into the room from side wall I4 and a leg structure 26 is arranged to support the other side of the free end of the pan. The leg structure comprises an upper section 21, a lower section 28 and an intermediate hanger section 29 hingedly connecting the upper and lower sections. The hanger is preferably cast or forged and includes a pair of parallel spaced flange members 3|] connected along one side by wall 3! which terminates short of the tops of the flanges. On the upper end of leg section 21 is a bifurcated hinge leaf head 32 formed with an opening for reception of pin 33. This pin also engages hinge leaf 34 secured to one side of the berth pan to provide a pivotal mounting for the upper leg section. The axis of this pivotal mounting extends in a direction longitudinally of the pan so that the leg can be swung in a direction transversely of the pan for storage or into a vertical position to rest on the floor. Leg section 28 is provided with a bracket 35 for supporting the berth pan in horizontal position.

The lower portion of the top leg section is U- shaped in cross section and the base portion is straddled by the upper ends of hanger flange members 30 which are secured thereto by rivets 36. Hanger flanges 30 carry pin 31 on which the upper end of leg section 28 is pivotally mounted and the axis of such pin is normal to the axis of pin 33. Such mounting allows the leg structure to be foreshortened to avoid interference with wall [8 while bein swung between vertical and stored positions as the lower leg section is adjustable to swing on its pivotal mounting in a direction longitudinally of the berth.

The upper end of the lower leg section is reduced to a thickness to be received between hanger flange members 30 and the pivotal connection is such that the upper end will clear hanger wall 3| when swung from vertical aligned position with the upper leg section and foreshortened position. Movement of the lower leg section in one direction beyond vertical alignment with the upper leg section is prevented by wall 3| with which one edge of the lower leg section will engage. Foreshortening adjustment of the lower leg section is limited by engagement of shoulder 38 with one side of the upper leg section as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

When the leg structure is swung to extended position in berth supporting position on the room floor 39, it can be secured by latch 40 pivotally mounted on the lower leg section. The side of the berth pan has a slot 41 into which the latch extends for engaging pan lip 42 formed by the slot. The latch is normally extended into latching position by spring 43 and has an extension 45 engageable for moving it to unlatched position. While the latch is. entered in the slot, the leg is. locked in extended and supporting relation with the berth pan so the detent must be lifted and the leg moved away from the pan sufficiently for the latch to clear the pan before the leg structure can be foreshortened.

The invention may be modified in various respects as will occur to those skilled in the art and the exclusive use of all modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A bed leg assembly comprising a top section, a hinge member fixed on the upper end of said top section having a pivot axis located to extend longitudinally of the bed when associated therewith, an intermediate hanger section fixed to the lower end of the upper section, a lower section, and means on the hanger for pivotally mounting the upper portion of the lower section, the pivotal axis of said means extending normal to the pivot axis of the hinge member.

2. A berth supporting leg structure comprising an upper section, a lower section, an intermediate hanger section fixed to the lower end of the upper section, a pin on the hanger section on which upper end of the lower section is pivotally mounted, and a restraining means on the hanger section limiting pivotal movement of the lower section beyond vertical alignment in one direction with the upper section.

3. A supporting leg structure comprising upper and lower leg sections, said upper leg section having an upper hinge leaf head, a hanger section fixed to the lower end of the upper leg section, and a pin carried by the hanger section on which the lower leg section is pivotally mounted, the axis of said pin extending normal to the pivot axis of said hinge leaf head.

4. A berth supporting leg structure comprising an upper section, a lower section, an intermediate hanger section having flanges fixed to the lower end of the upper section, and a pin extending across and carried by the flanges on which the upper end of the lower section is pivotally mounted, said hanger flanges being joined by a wall located to limit swinging movement of the lower leg section in one direction, the lower end of the upper leg section limiting movement of the lower leg section in another direction.

GEORGE K. BRADFIELD, JR.

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